Surviving our children-and Alaskan politics-one day at a time.

A Sad Day- Mudflats is Changed Forever

I hesitated to write this post because I wanted my shock and anger to subside a little. I tend to write a lot less eloquently when I’m angry. When I wrote an email to Mike Doogan this afternoon, I was definitely less able to express myself because of the frustration I felt. You see, AKM’s true identity was named today. By a Democrat. On State time, and through a State website. By a jerk.

So it was with dismay that I read today in The Mudflats that he decided that it was his job to make sure one very successful blogger was made public. Here’s the last paragraph of his online newsletter posted on the Alaska State Legislature homepage:

Anonymous Blogger Anonymous No More

The identity of the person who writes the liberal Democratic Mudflats blog has been secret since the blog began, protected by the Anchorage Daily News, among others. My own theory about the public process is you can say what you want, as long as you are willing to stand behind it using your real name. So I was interested to learn that the woman who writes the blog is Anchorage resident ——–.

Best wishes,
Mike

I wonder why Mike decided to put in in an official State Legislature newsletter instead of posting it on his personal blog? Hmmm…methinks this might be a problem for dear Mike. Anyway, to say I’m sad and disappointed is an understatement. I’m angry and I am glad to see that many other people are too. I don’t think Mr. Doogan knows what he’s done here. It’ll be interesting to see how this plays out.

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27 Responses

He’s odious. I’ve called his office and left a (polite) message with his poor staffer Matt, informing him that I’ll be contributing to any and all of Doogan’s political opponents in future. Democrat, Republican, I don’t care — anyone who believes that he can use public office to pursue a personal vendetta should be stripped of that office.

Mudflats has been a well-written, well-sourced and deeply informative site for the past year. The idea that this small-minded man took it upon himself to strip a constituent of her anonymity and privacy is — well, let’s just say I can’t believe he was stupid enough to do it through State channels.

Erin, I so agree with you, this guy is total jerk. This is the adolescent reaction of someone who is on the defensive because he is incapable of doing his job, so when someone asks him to do his job, he turns around and attacks.

As I blogger myself – blogs being private and personal – I have the choice to decide what information about myself is put out there for the public. AK is not a public figure, not a politician, not even an official journalist, just a concerned citizen following politicians elected by and working for the public. She has a right to ask question and to call into question. She is simply carrying on a dialogue between herself and her readers – all private.

What Jamie said. Daily reading of Mudflats blog help me get through some very dark, upsetting times. My whole family, except for me, thinks GINO is just the sweetest, most spunky can-do gal to come along. I get a very different vibe from that woman. Am I the crazy one? Mudflats was an emotional lifeline for me, leading up to the election. Even if she decides to not write another word, I am very, very, grateful for the time and effort she put forth on behalf of the concerned citizens of the state and nation.

I sincerely hope that there is some provision under which Doogan can be brought to task. Why must we resort to the courts to have our state employees do their jobs in an ethical manner?

I blog with a friend that chooses not to use a “real” name. There are many, perfectly respectable reasons, to do so. I can´t believe the man was ever a journalist or that Poe said he was of the Ed Murrow school. What an insult to Murrow!

I am asiangrrl from the ‘flats. I have read AKM since La Palina got chosen by McCain. I couldn’t have made it through the election without AKM, and I didn’t care (in a good way) who s/he was. All I cared about was that AKM wrote about Alaskan politics with accuracy, grace, humor, intelligence, and clarity. Because of AKM, I was able to understand who Palin was and how much I would loathe to have her (Palin) as VP of our country.

AKM has been one of Alaska’s beacons in the past six months. Mike Doogan is the reason AKM is so dearly needed. He should be kicked out of public office at the very least. I am disgusted that this petty, bitter man used his position to intimidate a citizen of his state.

I blog with my real name, but I use pseudonyms for everyone in my life. It’s the choice of the blogger, not his or her elected official whether to blog with a name, a pseudonym, or anonymously.

This is a sad day. I don’t know what it is about politicians these days. Many of them are vicious little animals.

I’m so grateful to AKM (which she will always be to me). She has done the thinking community a great service, and I wish her all the best. I hope she stays with the blog, and although it may have to change somewhat in scope, her honesty and integrity is badly needed.

Hi Mamadance – I’m also a mudpuppy and have been following (lurking) on AKM since she started although not posting often.

Like the other mudpuppies, I am sick about what has been done to AKM – the reasons are too many to mention.

I’m attaching the Huffingtonpost blog – please “buzz it up” so it can make it to the front page of HuffPo? This type of stalking and harrassment can happen to anyone – and it being done by a legislator using State Resources/email/time is simply unbelievable.

We all want AKM to hang on tight – we’re with her! Her blog is s-l-o-w due to the huge numbers of individual posts – so if you’re trying to read, be patient.

[…] it in my very core. It is wrong. I have nothing else to say at this time. Here is one of the forum admins blogging about it on her own blog. She has a running tally of all the blogs writing about this […]

I’ve never been to SO many blogs, as I have been to today. Thanks for again showing that people can be good. What Mike Doogan has done was absolute bullshit. The outpouring of support and love for AKMuckraker is beautiful to see. Now what to do with my rage?

Hello all … another one of the ole timers in MudFlats world here … I cannot say enough about how much AKM and the Flats mean to me and my husband, Ole Geezer in VA. During the election campaign we were obsessed with the Flats, checking the comments all day and all night. Then the forum caught on and we had fun in the Night Kitchen and other threads where we shared photos and stories and ideas. After the election many of us stayed tuned, we had become interested in Alaska because of AKM. Sure, the notorious nature of her politics, makes Alaska interesting to many, but we had learned so much about the place thru AKM, we wanted to know more.

We’ve made great friends here … true and kind and pure and just plain old “good people”. friends, who have supported us in more ways than I can mention here during our personal difficulties.

We’ve enjoyed swapping recipes, cards, stationary, magnets, advice, addresses and more. AKM provided an outlet for many like minded folks to enjoy discussions of all types, she motivated us to take action and help rural Alaskans, and as a group we did so.

The Mudflats community was and still is a magical place. We have a connection, a common thread, a type of serendipity that only Mudpuppies understand. That Mudflats Magic will carry AKM through this in the best possible way … no matter what she decides, our collective energy will make things better for AKM and her family and karma will take care of Mr. Doogan and his kind.

Hugs and positive energy to AKM and all of the Mudpuppies out there! Sabine & Kenny

I have to say it’s sad the poor woman who has a business will probably be a ‘target’ from this point forward.

However, having said that, when you post something in public for all to read, you, just like any ‘celebrity’ knowingly or unknowingly agree to public scrutinity, whether it’s from an ash-ole like Doogan, or anyone else. That scrutiny could be as simple as finding out your name, to as scarey as finding out where you live.

‘Non-journalists’ don’t realize this.

Anyone who wants to play in the public arena should realize this. And even if they try their best not to be ‘outed’ there are no laws or ethics that protect someone in the public eye from ‘being outed’. She ‘outed’ herself when she wrote the first words in her blog. No court of law would prosecute Dopehead Doogan because there is no violation of law. The mear act of posting in a public forum strips any privacy the woman might have had.

And that’s where journalists who have practiced the trade for year look at bloggers who haven’t as the uninitiated. If this woman had slandered/libeled someone in her posts, the law would dictate her identity be revealed. (Not saying she had or would, just that that’s the law.)

So any time you write something in a public forum, don’t assume your identity is protected. The law can come back to bite you and anyone with a few bucks willing to file a lawsuit would quickly have you outed.

Doogan just wasted his time (and talents) on something he did many years ago by hiding the identity of ‘Ear’ (aka Sheila Toomey). Yes, he’s a hypocrite alright, but we already knew that the first time he opened his mouth.

Actually from all the other blogs and legal views presented, anonymity in cyberspace IS protected free speech. The Supreme Court has upheld it via the Constitution. HuffPo, DailyKos and the ‘flats have the citations. That is not protection from “outing” but it certainly is legal case law when it happens.

The fact that an elected official used State computers and time to STALK this woman since December – and spent considerable time fighting with emailers via State email, is appalling and he needs to be tossed by his voting constituency.

She has one heck of a case against DooDooDoogan and I for one hope she owns his a**.